Cave Mural
by alolaninetales
Summary: Steven X Reader one-shot! Based off of Pokémon Alpha Sapphire so there are MAJOR SPOILERS! Characters may be a bit OOC (especially Steven sorry) because it's my first fanfiction! Hope you enjoy!


**A/N: Hi guys! This is my first fanfiction and I really hope you enjoy it! Yes, I am aware of how long it is and assure you I did not intend for it to become this long. I just kept putting it off and ended up adding more and more and more and you get the idea. Anyway, it is not edited, but I will edit it when I have time in the future! Many of the characters may seem a little OOC and I know I put it in the description, but I just thought you guys should know again :) And since it is based off of the game-verse, there will be SPOILERS ahead, but most of you probably have played the games by now so...yeah. Now continue on into the awesome world of Pokémon and I hope you like it! :D**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR POKEMON MENTIONED. THEY ARE OWNED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS (aka Game Freak, or Pokémon idk man).**

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Steven had been through a lot in his life. Of which included trying to escape collapsing caves, and fleeing from Pokémon he disturbed on many of his cave explorations. Even battling the gym leaders and Elite Four; though he never thought that he'd become _champion_, of all things. Though that was all well and grand, this was a moment in which Steven could not, for his life, comprehend anything that was going on. Everything was pandemonium around him. Apparently, Team Aqua had managed to awaken the super-ancient Pokémon, Kyogre, who escaped when Team Aqua's leader, Archie, tried to control it. Then, a giant rain cloud materialized above what he figured to be Sootopolis City. Since he had no idea where Kyogre would head, he decided to consult his best friend for an answer; and since his friend lived in Sootopolis City as well, it seemed like a reasonable option. So with that in mind, he sent out his Skarmory to fly him to Sootopolis City-but not before practically pleading with [Y/N] to promise that she wouldn't do anything reckless.

Even though all that had happened when he was _physically present_, he still couldn't wrap his brain around it, or even concentrate on anything.

Except her.

Steven watched as [Y/N] stepped onto the ground, letting her Sharpedo swim around in the lake that was located in the middle of Sootopolis City. She stared in despair at all the turmoil the storm was causing and even tried helping a few passersby get to safety. That was one thing Steven liked about [Y/N]. No matter how dire the situation was, she would stop at nothing to do her best to help.

Finally noticing Steven, she waved and smiled tightly at him, climbing onto her Sharpedo to swim her across the lake. He always found it ironic that [Y/N] had a Sharpedo because it was one of the Pokémon Team Aqua frequently used.

In seconds, [Y/N] was right in front of Steven and he couldn't fathom how her Sharpedo got over so quickly. But no matter. The subject was on the problem at hand.

"[Y/N]!" Steven felt his face break out into a smile, despite the current circumstances. "Hello, once again. I was hoping you'd come. Lovely weather isn't it? You didn't do anything reckless either, did you?" He inquired, the left side of his mouth curving up. At that, [Y/N] rolled her eyes. "Meet Wallace. Wallace, this is [Y/N]." Steven watched Wallace eye her up and down as if judging her for a contest (which he participated in on occasion).

Wallace nodded. "I am, indeed, Wallace. Protector of the Cave of Origin and gym leader of Sootopolis City. When Kyogre awoke from its deep slumber, its power caused the energy in the Cave of Origin to escalate tremendously, resulting in this horrible downpour."

Wallace paused, closing his eyes.

"That is the Red Orb, if I'm not mistaken?" Wallace asked, opening one eye and peering down at [Y/N]. [Y/N] nodded and Steven discreetly watched as several droplets of water slid down her face. Everyone was soaked to the skin from the storm Kyogre was creating, and unfortunately, there was no definite way known on how to stop it, as far as Steven was aware. Too bad he couldn't just Google it. That'd make things a whole heck of a lot easier.

"I see. Follow me," Wallace said, and motioned for both [Y/N] and Steven to follow.

"Rain is needed by both Pokémon and people alike, yet why does this rain cause us so much dread? If these clouds continue to extend over Hoenn..." Steven decided not to finish his thought, but anyone listening could see where he was going. Too much water-which is exactly what too much rain would bring-would cause serious problems; not only affecting the lives of everybody, but the environment as well. It would disrupt the flow of nature, causing everything to become disordered and unbalanced, covering many landforms in water. Steven wished he knew a way to stop it all. Stop the world from drowning, but alas, he knew of no such way.

Honestly? He wished that he could just punch Archie in the face for causing this entire mess. And kiss [Y/N].

Wait, what?! Kiss her? Since when did he ever start fantasizing that? Reluctantly, he came to the conclusion that, yes, he did in fact want to kiss her-but that would be of utmost rudeness, and...what if she didn't feel the same?

In a few minutes, the trio found themselves standing in front of the doors to the Cave of Origin, rain continuing to pour over their heads.

The only problem was...Archie, Maxie, and Shelly were also standing (sopping wet) right in between them and the doors. An awkward silence enthused and Steven didn't know whether they were on the same side or not, after that incident about an hour ago.

He squinted. What was that in Shelly's hands? Was that...?

All the tension in this one moment could probably be felt miles away, so Steven decided to take the opportunity to commence a peaceful meeting. "Team Aqua...and Team Magma... I assume we are gathered here under peaceful terms?" He posed the statement purposefully as a question.

Maxie nodded. "We have been awaiting your arrival." Steven saw Shelly nod in the slightest, while Archie promptly looked away.

Shelly stepped forward and turned to Archie. "I'm giving the suit we designed to the kid, okay?" Archie turned his head to stare at the ground. He took a deep breath. He let it out.

"Yes." He raised his head. "The Aqua Suit..."

Steven watched as Shelly brought forth the Aqua Suit and handed it to [Y/N]. _Just as I figured _Steven thought. _The Aqua Suit! _The girl sagged under the weight of the heavy suit, and Steven resisted the urge to help her hold it up. Although if anything, she'd slap away his help, declaring she could do it herself.

"What you are holding is a special suit, called the Aqua Suit. The Aqua Suit will enable you to get within close proximity to Kyogre. It was specially designed by Team Aqua and the Devon Corporation, so it is a very high-tech piece of equipment. We created it together in hopes of ever coming into contact with Kyogre, but..." Shelly stopped, her expression unreadable.

Archie decided to speak up and ask, "Yes, but even with that thing on, isn't there a chance it might not be enough? Won't the pressure be too much?" Steven felt like slapping Archie right then and there.

Shelly nodded, her usual air returning. "The energy within the Cave of Origin is much more powerful than we originally thought. It's making the water currents faster and stronger."

Wallace, who had been immobile the entire time, took a step forward. "No need to worry," he said breezily. "The girl bears the Red Orb, which will protect her and her Pokémon, while diluting the power of the super-ancient Pokémon's."

Maxie nodded his head in accordance. "Yes, I remember an elderly couple on Mt. Pyre saying the same thing. That the Blue Orb will release Kyogre's full power, enabling it to revert to its primal form, and the Red Orb will suppress that power."

Wallace raised his eyebrows at Maxie and hummed in surprise, turning to face the Cave of Origin. "Yes. The energy inside the Cave of Origin is what gives Kyogre its legendary power. The Red Orb will be able to lower the amount of energy being released, which began to overflow when Kyogre awakened. With it in hand, the Red Orb should make it possible to calm this horrible rain.

"Be aware though, that the Red Orb alone will not lead you to Hoenn's core, or Kyogre." [Y/N] visibly slumped at that, but perked up when Wallace stated, "Although with the Aqua Suit, it may be finally possible to brave the forces of nature."

Wallace turned around to face [Y/N] and said, "Although no one is allowed to enter the Cave of Origin, you must go nevertheless and face whatever awaits you inside."

Maxie butted in to comply. "We of Team Magma will also do what we can to help. Now is the time when we all must do the best we can in the positions we are in.

"As for you, child..." Maxie began, but then shook his head. "No, you are not acting like a child today. You are acting braver than any of us here. Pokémon Trainer [Y/N], I apologize again for the immense burden we have put on your shoulders, but I trust you to take care of it."

Archie stepped toward [Y/N] for the first time and muttered, "...Sorry. I'm sorry for causing this entire mishap that could've been avoided had I not been so consumed by my own foolish desires. But I beg of you please...save us...the world...Kyogre..."

For a few seconds, everyone was silent, engrossed in their own condolences. Until a small splash caused Steven to lift his head, and the others to do the same.

"[Y/N]!" A boy that looked about the same age as [Y/N] was running up the bridge to meet them. Steven was surprised by the fact he was running and had managed not to fall on the slippery bridge. "I was tuning into BuzzNav, and heard about a giant storm circling Sootopolis. Then I saw you on there too! All I could think of was coming to help! I'm just glad you're still in one piece!" The boy stopped his rambling to actually look around at the situation they were in. "Wait...what!?" The boy's eyes widened to the size of moons, glancing from Archie, to Maxie, and back again. "Is that Team Aqua...and Team Magma!?"

[Y/N] nodded in confirmation. "Yep. Crazy, I know right? Who would've ever thought that they'd be working together?" She shook her head.

The boy turned his eyes to [Y/N], giving her an incredulous look that told her that that was not at all what he meant. Then his gaze shifted over to Wallace. "And is that...Wallace? Sootopolis' gym leader?! What is going on here?" His gaze shifted over to Steven's and the boy's eyebrows started to furrow a bit. "And-not to sound rude or anything-but who are you?"

Steven mentally smiled at the young boy's naïve questions and decided to speak up on behalf of [Y/N]. "Yes. That is Wallace...and I am Steven. One of [Y/N]'s...friends," he said carefully.

"Oh. Hi! I'm Brendan, [Y/N]'s _best friend_!"

Steven felt his eye twitch.

"Well...this is...unexpected. I don't even know what to say." He risked a small laugh that turned serious in a second. "So I won't. I'm gonna find out what I can do to help and do whatever I can. You'd better do the same, [Y/N]," Brendan said in a teasing, yet serious way that Steven wasn't even sure how he pulled off. "I'll always be behind you, no matter what." With that, Brendan pulled [Y/N] into a hug, and [Y/N] hugged him back-though almost tentatively at first-before she relaxed into it.

Despite it being a friendly hug, and Steven was well aware of that, he still got a weird feeling in his stomach that made him feel sick. He didn't know why, but it irked him. Why could Brendan hug her, when he probably wasn't even given the privilege? Was it a "best friends" kind of thing? What was that called? Jealousy? Was he jealous of Brendan?

[Y/N] smiled brightly at Brendan and then turned to Steven, her smile faltering. "Steven, are you okay?" she asked nervously. That's when he realized he was glaring at her, and quickly relaxed his face, his cheeks beginning to heat up. _Hopefully she won't be able to notice through the storm, _Steven thought.

"I'm sorry [Y/N]," Steven said, though he was mostly embarrassed. "Be careful in there okay? I believe in both you and your Pokémons' capabilities, never forget that!" He smiled at her and she smiled back. A genuine smile.

Suddenly, [Y/N] darted up to him and wrapped her arms around his form. Steven stumbled back, surprised by the gesture since not many people have made the daring move to touch-let alone _hug_ him, thinking he was of too high status to even lay a finger on._ She must've read my mind somehow _was the first thought that ran through his head, which then led him to wondering if she had psychic powers like Liza and Tate. Realizing he was just idiotically standing there, Steven clumsily wrapped his arms around [Y/N]'s smaller figure and hugged her back. He could feel his face burning, but he didn't even care at the moment. Just the fact that [Y/N] had thrown herself into his arms was good enough for him. "Thanks Steven," he heard her whisper. "Thanks for everything."

Too soon, the moment ended, and when [Y/N] detached herself from him, he felt cold. Quite the opposite of when she was against him, making him feel all warm and giddy on the inside. When he turned to face her, he noted how her cheeks her a flaming red color. No doubt matching his own. He chuckled silently. _Maybe she does like me after all? _He wondered helplessly.

Steven watched as [Y/N] entered through the doors of the Cave of Origin, waving one last time to them before disappearing into the darkness of the cave. His hand was still in the air long after she had gone through, and he was still thinking about the hug and the feeling of her in his arms. Despite having ended a while ago, he still felt lightheaded from the whole thought of it. _This is a serious situation. This is no time for such silly thoughts _he mentally chided himself. Although he kept telling himself that, he just couldn't wipe off the stupid grin that seemed to have plastered itself on his face.

Wallace and Brendan immediately began chatting together after [Y/N] walked through the doors, and he could see Archie and Maxie farther down the path, talking among themselves. The two teams had joined forces when they realized they could not stop Kyogre by working against each other. Hopefully after this, Archie now knew not to go messing around with the super-ancient Pokémon again, and Maxie too, if he was thinking of doing anything along those lines. This entire experience exhausted Steven, both physically and mentally.

The sound of water splashing nearby caused Steven to raise his head, and turn toward the source of the noise, which had interrupted his deep reflection. He noticed Wallace and Brendan walking his way and stood up straighter. "Hm? What is it? Is something the matter?" Steven asked, completely caught off guard.

Wallace sighed. "Oh, don't you know, _Casanova_?" He emphasized the last part, causing Steven to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Sorry, but, no I don't know," he shot back, unable to discern whether it was supposed to be offensive or teasing.

Brendan noticeably elbowed Wallace in the ribs and took a step forward. "C'mon pretty boy," he began, and Steven instantly scowled at the nickname. "Isn't it completely obvious?" Brendan smirked.

"What is completely obvious?" Steven asked furrowing his eyebrows, now truly puzzled by this whole ordeal.

Wallace sighed in disdain and Brendan shook his head. "That you, y'know..." Brendan wiggled his eyebrows and leaned in closer as if to block anyone else from hearing.

"...like [Y/N]."

Steven felt his cheeks heat up at the mention of [Y/N] and felt his stomach drop. He saw Brendan's lips move, but he couldn't hear. Couldn't hear, couldn't speak, couldn't do anything except stare at him blankly. How had they figured it out? Was it something Steven did? Say? He didn't think he gave any noticeable signs as to how he had an interest in [Y/N].

After a minute or so of Steven trying to come up with a plausible reason for how they could've figured it out, Brendan clapped his hands in front of Steven's face, breaking him out of his on-growing hysteria.

"You okay there, big guy?" Brendan asked, worry now lacing his voice. Steven looked down at him with wide eyes and slowly nodded.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. But, why would you assume something like that? T-that's completely preposterous. Out of the question. Definitely." Steven fidgeted with the cuffs on his sleeves and shifted from foot to foot. Anything to avoid looking Brendan in the eyes. Otherwise he knew he would give.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Brendan give Wallace a sidelong glance that made Steven's stomach churn with unease.

"Oh, come _on _Steven!" Sighed Wallace, who had sidled up next to Brendan, both of whom were in his personal bubble. _Hasn't anyone heard of personal space? _He thought. "It's quite obvious that you have feelings for [Y/N]."

Steven decided he'd just try to play it off coolly in a last-ditch effort. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said smoothly, crossing his arms and taking a step back. "She's just a friend."

Both Brendan and Wallace took a step forward, which scared Steven since he felt like his personal space was being invaded, as his back was now against the fencing surrounding the Cave of Origin. "Puh-lease! I've seen the way you stare at her and when your face went all tomato-colored when she hugged you! Priceless!" Brendan laughed.

Steven could feel his face begin to heat up even more from embarrassment and he wasn't one to get flustered easily. "Okay, so what if I do? What's wrong with that?" He asked defensively, glaring at the both of them.

"So he does like her. He just openly admitted it," Brendan whispered to Wallace, but Steven could still hear him, so it was pretty pointless.

"Oh, nothing..." Wallace stated nonchalantly, answering Steven's question.

"...Except the fact that you like [Y/N]!" Brendan finished in a sing-song voice. With that, he started to sing the "Kissing" song, inserting [Y/N] and Steven's names into the empty blanks. Steven cringed at how loud he was and hoped the harsh winds hindered his voice. Even so, Archie, Maxie, or even Shelly could've heard since they were standing about 50 feet away from them.

Brendan slipped an arm around Steven's shoulders (which reminded Steven that Brendan wasn't that much shorter than he was, despite being older than him) and said in a serious voice, "Bro, you gotta ask [Y/N] out soon or someone else will snatch her up first!" He waved his free hand around wildly for show of emphasis, while Wallace just stood back and nodded in affirmation. Steven sidestepped out of Brendan's grasp and brushed off invisible dust, though his entire suit was soaking wet so it was a pretty obvious show of apathy.

"So are you implying that...?" Steven asked slyly.

He watched as Brendan face morphed from a confused to oh-my-god-what-did-you-just-say look. Then he burst out laughing. "That's funny, Steven. Nah, I don't like [Y/N] like that. Were just friends, nothing more, nothing less." Hearing Brendan say that lifted a weight off of Steven's chest whether he liked it or not. When he first met the boy merely 20 minutes ago, he had suspicions that maybe, just maybe, [Y/N] and Brendan were something more than "just friends". Now he was glad he knew the truth.

"Anyway," Steven spoke, interrupting the silence, "You guys can't be serious about this. I don't even know her that well. She probably doesn't even like me...like that."

"Yes," Wallace agreed. "Steven's right Brendan." Steven opened his mouth, about to thank Wallace for finally understanding, when Wallace turned to him and snapped his fingers. "You and [Y/N] will have to get closer to ensure that there is no chance of failure. Ask her out on a date after all of this is over!"

Steven's eyes widened to the size of moons. "What!?"

Brendan walked over to the two friends, shaking his head in exasperation. "No, no, no. Didn't you _see?_"

"See what?" Steven and Wallace said in unison.

Brendan face palmed. "I'm surrounded by oblivious idiots." He muttered, but then started at Steven and Wallace's glares. "What I _meant_, was when [Y/N] hugged Steven! I mean, that's an obvious sign she likes you! And then the way she blushed after that, I mean that was a total giveaway! I can't believe you guys didn't see that. You must be blind!" Brendan was obviously teasing them but Steven did happen to notice the way [Y/N] blushed after she hugged him.

"Actually," Steven said thoughtfully, "I did see her face turn red, but I didn't know it was an absolute, 100% sign. Besides, how do you even know all this stuff?"

Brendan rolled his eyes. "I'm smart and observant. Duh."

For a few more minutes, the entire trio bickered about nothing relevant at all to the situation at hand. Steven eventually managed to slip away from the other two after they started arguing about what types of hats were better. He leaned against one of the rails and stared down at the lake surrounding the Cave of Origin, watching his reflection become distorted by the falling raindrops. By now, he was used to the feeling of the rain pelting his clothes. It felt like taking a shower with your clothes on-minus the warm water. Hopefully the whole ordeal didn't take too long, and [Y/N] finished it relatively quickly, though he knew that was stretching it. Arceus, he was beginning to sound like _Wallace._

Of course, thinking about that brought him to a subject he had been trying to avoid. [Y/N]. Concerns and questions about her safety kept invading his mind, making him lose his place in whatever he was trying to contemplate prior. What was she doing now? Was she already battling Kyogre? What would happen if she lost? The thing about this entire "plan" they had, was the giant hamartia that was hanging over their heads. This was the thing that kept Steven worrying. If [Y/N] failed, what would happen to her? What would happen to Kyogre and everyone else in the whole world?

In the end, he decided he would just go with his gut and hoped this reverse psychology that these psychologists talked about actually worked. Steven closed his eyes, and let his mind take over, recalling every moment he had ever shared with [Y/N].

When Steven and [Y/N] first met, it was in Granite Cave, along the coast of Dewford Town. The whole reason he was there was because he had heard of a giant mural, depicting some ancient Pokémon, illustrated on one of the walls of the cave. Being the history fanatic he was, he just had to see it. As he was studying the mural, he didn't hear her enter and he couldn't deny that feeling of embarrassment that consumed him when he realized she heard him talking to himself. He was so focused on the picture drawn on the wall that he didn't sense her presence until after he finished his train of thought; and after she had been standing there for a solid minute. The wall depicted a super-ancient Pokémon that seemed to be creating massive storms and giant tidal waves from the sea. He was sure it was of Kyogre, the sea basin Pokémon. Except, it looked...different somehow. It was much larger than the actual Kyogre, and had this symbol "α" on its fins, which Steven knew meant "alpha" in Latin. Perhaps it was an older version of evolution, almost...primal. Like Mega Evolution, but different...greater.

When Steven turned around and first laid eyes on [Y/N], he wasn't very impressed by her outer appearance. She wasn't like any model to say the least. Dirt covered her arms and legs while her clothes were unkempt and disheveled. The way she held herself showed her inexperience as a trainer; along with the two Poké Balls clipped to her belt. An amateur at the most. But then he saw and felt something that changed his perspective of her. Although she looked like an amateur, he couldn't shake that thrill of excitement he felt and the potential he could feel flowing off of her when his curious eyes met her fierce ones.

That was when they both formally introduced themselves and [Y/N] gave him the letter she was told to deliver by his father. Being the sweet, kind-hearted fellow he was, Steven gave her a TM that contained his favorite move, Steel Wing. Then he turned toward the wall and asked her how the mural on it made her feel. Before he departed, he hoped to have left an impression on the girl, by leaving her with a seemingly harmless question that he hoped she would take into consideration. He didn't expect an answer. And she stayed silent. With that, he bid her farewell and left her standing in Granite Cave alone.

Their next meeting was on Route 118. Steven was just standing there, watching as a flock of Wingull and Taillow flew by. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him and there was...what was her name again? Oh yes, [Y/N]. Steven hadn't seen her in so long that he almost forgot her name. But he remembered her face. From the time they met in Granite Cave to then on Route 118, he could tell she had grown immensely. Even now, he could sense the resilience and strength that seemed to flow off of her. He then proceeded to ask her what was on his mind. Did she aim to raise different types of Pokémon, or Pokémon of the same types? He didn't know why he asked her, in particular. Maybe it was because she was a trainer herself, or because she was just there at the right time, but he found himself wanting to know for some reason. Probably because she had grown so much since the last time he saw her, he wanted to know her insight on the subject.

He then turned to leave, before something in the sky caught his eye. A cry was heard and...what'd you know? Latios! He seemed to want [Y/N] and Steven to go with him, for some odd reason. They both hopped on, and Steven had felt a weird sensation when [Y/N] had her arms wrapped around him. He knew it was so she wouldn't fall off, but his mind just wouldn't accept that. He just disregarded it and figured it was because he'd never been in such an intimate position with anyone before. After all, being busy with all his work and helping at the Devon Corporation, he'd never had the chance to settle down and find anyone nice.

Latios dropped both of them off and Steven felt an agitated aura around him. He looked over at [Y/N] and concluded the same thing, as she had a confused, but also hesitant expression on her face. It seemed the Eon Pokémon had taken them to a deserted island, since it looked like no one else was around. The entire place seemed surreal, like a dream. Steven recalled hearing of such an island before, known as Southern Island, a place where no human could've gone themselves. It was rumored two Pokémon here guarded a secret about Mega Evolution. Latios couldn't have taken them there for that...could it?

"Whoa!" [Y/N] murmured in awe at the beautiful landscape. There were luscious green trees everywhere, and with spring around, small flowers were beginning to bloom. In the distance, several waterfalls were spraying out water, creating several miniature rainbows on the water. The sound of the distant waterfalls was a calming sound, but Steven still couldn't shake that feeling of disturbance that he felt when Latios first brought them here.

"Whoa, indeed," Steven agreed, also mesmerized by their surroundings. What he didn't see though, was [Y/N]'s almost inaudible giggling at his comment. She always thought Steven was a little bizarre by the way he talked and thought, but quite intriguing as well, with his love for stones and all.

"It seems Latios took us here for some reason...but what?" he muttered to himself with his chin in his hand.

Steven heard [Y/N] begin to walk and her footsteps grow fainter and fainter, before he finally turned around to see her running after something. He began to run after her, making sure she was always in his sight. After all, what else could he do?

"Steven, look!" [Y/N] shouted. She was pointing excitedly at a small trail, beckoning him forward. "Come on!" He raced after her, also excited at what they might find.

The small trail eventually opened up into a bigger clearing, complete with fresh green grass, and a clear view of the beautiful waterfalls. Again, he chased after [Y/N] when she disappeared beneath the slope of a hill, but gasped at the sight that met him. Right in front of him, stood - or floated - Latias! He carefully drew forward, afraid it could possibly be an illusion and that Latias might disappear any second. She was beautiful; divine. As superb as a steel-type, resembling the beauty of a Sun - no, Dawn Stone! They were both standing there, wondering why Latios would bring them to Latias when they heard voices getting louder behind them.

"Matt! That's the brat that keeps interfering in our plans!" Steven turned around and first, noticed the giant man that stood about 7 feet tall that made the Team Aqua grunt next to him look like an ant, and second, noticed what they were wearing. Team Aqua uniforms! Latios must've been worried that these goons would come after Latias, so he called Steven and [Y/N] to help!

His gaze steeled into a glare and he growled, "Team Aqua! What are you doing here?"

The Team Aqua Admin, Matt, replied, "We're here to steal Latias and its Mega Stone, of course! Such power could help us achieve our ambitions and awaken the super-ancient Pokémon!"

He whipped his head around to face [Y/N], who looked practically frightened under his fierce gaze. "C'mon, [Y/N]! Let's show these goons what we're made of! We can't let Latias, or even a mega stone fall into the likes of these people!" Even though [Y/N] looked almost like she was scared of him, she nodded her head firmly and got out one of her Pokéballs.

"Go! Sceptile!" She yelled and threw out its Pokéball.

"Let's go, Metang!" Steven threw his own Pokéball, and out appeared one of his favorite Pokémon, Metang.

The battle ended quickly with the two Team Aqua members fleeing, leaving only Latias, [Y/N], and Steven himself. "Nice work, [Y/N]. You seem to have grown much stronger along with your Pokémon since the last time I saw you," Steven praised. _So strong she might someday be able to challenge the Elite Four _he thought. [Y/N] smiled in delight at the compliment looking pleased with herself. Steven noticed and smiled marginally while Latias tittered in amusement. "It seems Latias has noticed your worthy battling and now considers you a trusty ally," Steven noted. [Y/N] stared at the Eon Pokémon with wonder and bewilderment, surprised a legendary Pokémon like Latias would want to befriend an ordinary person like herself. She happily obliged and walked over to pet Latias shyly, still awestruck at the Pokémon's magnificence.

Steven and [Y/N] then proceeded to fly off of the island, riding Latios and Latias, respectively. But while the Latios he was riding wasn't Mega Evolved, the Latias [Y/N] was riding was Mega Evolved. He had given [Y/N] a Mega Bracelet as soon as he realized that Latias was holding a Latiasite. Once she received it, she quickly put it on and thanked him, cheeks transitioning to a light pink color. Right then, she Mega Evolved Latias, gushing at how awesome Mega Latias looked. The two instantly became friends and were currently soaring next to him and Latios in the sky. What Steven wondered though, was why he felt an emptiness inside of him when he saw [Y/N] and Latias doing flips and twirls in the air, laughing and smiling together?

The third time they met had been on Route 120. Steven had been about to use a new development called the Devon Scope, created by the Devon Corporation. They had sent the innovation to him right after they developed it, hoping he could test it out for them.

One day, while he was just leisurely walking along a bridge on Route 120, he had tripped over an invisible object in his path (luckily he had caught his balance before he fell). Confused, he reached out to touch it, but before he could-it smacked him.

That's right. _Smacked_ him.

At that moment, [Y/N] had showed up and was running toward him (the reason being she had wanted to show him her new Pokémon she caught), and toward the invisible..._thing_. Steven cried for her to watch out, but she had already run into it, and he cringed as she tripped forward and landed on her face. He had helped her up and asked if she was alright, in which she had nodded and replied yes. Steven explained to her about the invisible object and told her about the Devon Scope that could make invisible "objects" visible again. Rather than just explaining, he handed her the Devon Scope and told her to point it toward the invisible objet she had tripped over, as he too, was excited to see how this new device would work.

Once she did, a wild Kecleon appeared that she easily took down with the new Pokémon she had caught and wanted to show Steven; that also was the reason she tripped. After that, Steven told her to keep the Devon Scope and, without thinking, gave her a Sceptilite and told her to use it wisely, which he knew she would. But then he said something that he never would've imagined he'd ever say, that was also out of instinct. Steven had told [Y/N] that he liked to see trainers and their Pokémon trying their best together, and that she was doing very well with her Pokémon. With that, he bid her farewell, and began to walk away, in search of more rare rocks and stones. Sometimes, his own actions surprised him, and he didn't understand fully what he'd said and done and what it meant before the moment passed and it was too late.

Their fourth meeting had been right in the city Steven lived in, Mossdeep City. Someone had told him that [Y/N] went off to challenge Liza and Tate for her 7th gym badge. Lucky for him, he was in Mossdeep City at the time and when he heard about it, he immediately set off to find out whether she'd won or lost, to console or congratulate her. To him, it didn't even matter which one it was, as long as he got to see [Y/N] again. That thought stuck with him, and for a while, he wondered why that came to mind when he thought of her.

Steven sat on a bench outside, waiting for [Y/N] to exit the gym, which he could see from where he was sitting. During that time, many people had come up to him and welcomed him back home or asked him questions about his travels. Especially the young ladies that lived in Mossdeep City. They would come and sit on the bench next to him, getting a little too cozy for his liking. After he finally rejected them all (kindly), he had sighed in frustration and run a hand through his silver hair. For some reason, all the girls that had come up to him, didn't interest him in the slightest. He didn't know why, but after he had met [Y/N], he had started to feel less and less for other girls. Maybe it was because [Y/N] fascinated him to a high extent. He couldn't deny that she hadn't crossed his mind more than once since they'd first met in Granite Cave. Maybe if he hadn't met [Y/N], then things would've been different. But in the back of his mind, he knew that they would've met someday.

That was when he noticed [Y/N] coming out of the gym and decided to push those thoughts to the back of his mind. Steven stood up to go over to her, when the ground began to shake. A giant, bright blast of light appeared from around Route 128, creating a pillar that shot all the way up to the sky. He looked over to see if [Y/N] was alright and sprinted over. "[Y/N]! Are you okay?" Steven asked, trying to disguise the worry in his tone as a mere question a gentleman might ask-nothing more. She nodded and he asked if she saw that bright beam of light, which, in reply, [Y/N] nodded yes. "Come," Steven commanded. "Here isn't the place to speak. Let's go to my place to talk." [Y/N] had nodded once again and proceeded to follow behind him.

"So, did you win your gym match against Liza and Tate?" He had asked on the way to his house after a quiet silence had enthused between the two-the ground having stopped shaking. Now that Steven had realized he definitely _did _feel something for [Y/N] (he didn't know exactly what yet) he found it more awkward to talk to her, his words and tone becoming jumbled in his mouth before he spoke.

At least it didn't seem like that for [Y/N]. If that was good or bad, he didn't know. "Oh! It went really well! I beat them, but it wasn't easy! They're very strong gym leaders," [Y/N] praised, smiling at the memory of getting her 7th gym badge. "Since they specialize in psychic-types and can read each other's mind, they can plan their attacks to work well together. My team and I..." [Y/N] continued to ramble on and on about her gym battle, but surprisingly, Steven didn't find it boring or annoying at all like he thought he would've. He was actually interested in what [Y/N] had to say and about her experience in battling the twins. After she had finished, he had congratulated her on her win, and given her a few pointers for a situation that she got stuck in. Maybe it was just because she had grown so much since he met her in Granite Cave that he was interested in how she perceived her Pokémon and battling now. At least that's what he told himself to believe.

When they finally reached Steven's house, Steven opened the door and let [Y/N] first, like the gentleman he was. They both entered the small house and Steven suddenly realized how...bland his home looked. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry for my lack of, well, everything. I haven't really stayed here for an excessive amount of time yet to decorate...Now where were we?" He pondered and then grinned. "Ah, yes. That bright beam of light that shot to the sky? The ground shaking in a magnitude greater than ever before? Do you know what that means, [Y/N]?" [Y/N] shook her head no.

"Well," Steven grimaced. "It appears that Team Aqua has broken the seal that has kept the super-ancient Pokémon, Kyogre, asleep for millennia. From what Team Aqua said last time I saw them, they seem to want to take the super-ancient Pokémon and use its power for their own greedy needs. If that happens...I don't know what kind of terror will befall our world, Pokémon and people alike. I, of course, will do everything in my power to stop Team Aqua from achieving their goals.

"But, I will need help. I am asking if you, [Y/N], would please help me defeat and stop Team Aqua once and for all. Will you accompany me on my mission to disband Team Aqua?" Sure, maybe Steven sounded a little - or a lot - formal right there, but what else was he supposed to do? Just announce that he wanted to spend time with [Y/N]? No, he couldn't do that. Even if he was pretty confident in his battling skills, he wasn't confident enough to ask someone like [Y/N] out. Besides, this seemed like a better option, considering it was a current problem they were facing in the present.

[Y/N] looked him right in the eye and nodded in determination. Steven smiled and gave her the HM07: Dive, and the Devon Scuba Gear, to help her achieve her task. "Thank you, [Y/N]. I am greatly appreciative of your help. If you swim along Route 128, there should be a place for you to Dive in. The place you are looking for is called the Seafloor Cavern. I will join you once I finish a few duties I must attend to. Please, hurry! You might be able to make it before Archie awakens Kyogre! Good luck!" Steven called, ushering [Y/N] out.

She hastily nodded and said in reply, "Good luck to you too, Steven!" which instigated a weird feeling in his gut, before running off to go stop Archie.

Just like in this situation, Steven had just realized what he'd done only after [Y/N] had left. Now all he could do was pray that she'd stay safe and be careful.

αΩαΩαΩαΩα

Steven quickly finished all of his duties right before a giant raincloud appeared out of nowhere, instantly pouring water from its depths. He rapidly grabbed all of his stuff, and sent out Skarmory to fly on, worried that something might've happened to [Y/N].

While flying on Skarmory over the blue depths of the sea, he saw a small stretch of land off Route 128, before finally spotting [Y/N] and landing down near where she was standing. Steven sank a bit into the mushy sand, but didn't even care that his priceless shoes were getting dirty. All he cared about at the moment was that [Y/N] was safe.

"[Y/N]!" Steven yelled, trying to be heard above the storm. He scrambled over to where she was standing and apologized that he couldn't have come any sooner. She turned around and he could see that her eyes were filled with despondency. Seeing [Y/N] in that state made him want to just give her a hug, kiss her forehead, and tell her everything would be okay. The only thing that was stopping him was that he didn't know if he could muster the courage since he'd never even attempted it before, and that he wasn't confident in his skills to do it in the first place.

And the fact was...that would be lying. Everything was _not _okay. Kyogre just got awakened (he guessed) by Team Aqua and it was pouring sheets of rain. "Steven!" [Y/N] cried. She hung her head in shame, covering her face with her hands. "I'm so sorry! I was unable to stop Archie and he managed to wake Kyogre! I'm so sorry! So so sorry!"

Alarmed, Steven looked around, and nervously patted [Y/N] on the back awkwardly. "No, no, it's okay [Y/N]! It's not your fault! I'm sure he would've done it under any circumstance," Steven comforted. At least he tried to. Since he was more of a solitary, independent person, he wasn't used to anything intimate.

[Y/N] stood there for a minute, but then lifted her head, took a deep breath, and tentatively smiled at him. A smile that made his heart skip a beat. "Sorry I'm such a wreck. I guess I just got pretty mad when Archie awoke Kyogre. Thanks for trying to cheer me up." The falling rain that landed on her face made it look like she was crying, but her eyes said otherwise. They were full of courage and hope that they could still stop and end this mess.

For a minute, the two of them just looked around at the on-growing storm surrounding them. "So this calamity is what was being depicted in Granite Cave," Steven murmured to himself. "If this continues, the entire world will drown!

"Think, Steven, think! Where would Kyogre go next?" Steven sighed. It was useless. Kyogre could go anywhere, now that it was actually alive and moving. He turned around to face [Y/N]. "I am leaving for Sootopolis City. I have a friend there who might have answers for everything that is happening right now.

"[Y/N]..." [Y/N]'s head shot up at the mention of her name. "I trust you will try to help with this disaster...But please...promise me you won't do anything reckless." Steven requested. He was much too worried about [Y/N] nowadays since she was always charging headlong into danger without waiting for his help.

[Y/N] scoffed. "Please. Since when do I ever do anything reckless?"

Steven pretended to think. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe when you decided to try and take on Team Aqua's leader all by yourself? Or when you keep going after Team Aqua in the first place!?"

[Y/N] punched Steven in the arm lightly. "Oh, c'mon Steven! Stop being such a worrywart! I know fully well what I'm doing, and besides, you were taking too long! I can't just wait on you forever!"

Despite her teasing smile raising his heart, her last words burned it to the ground. _What does that mean?_ He wondered. _Does it have an indirect meaning as well?_ He pushed his thoughts aside and shook his head. "Anyway, just please promise me you won't do anything stupid, or reckless."

The girl rolled her eyes, but sighed in defeat and nodded. "Okay, fine. I won't do anything stupid," she repeated. Steven raised an eyebrow. "Or reckless." He grinned in satisfaction.

"Well, I'll be off then. Good luck to you!"

Finally, that presented them with the situation they were in now. After about 5 minutes of standing in the rain, Wallace and Brendan had gone off to look for something to help with the flood, and come back with umbrellas and raincoats for everyone (they had purposely given Steven the bright pink umbrella and raincoat to match). [Y/N] had disappeared into the Cave of Origin not 10 minutes ago and Steven had no clue whether or not she was going to make it out or not. He figured she would be okay, since she was a strong trainer who could hold her own in times like these. But what if Kyogre was too strong? If it managed to revert to its Primal Form, then who knows how strong it could become? His worrying thoughts consumed him yet again, and he only snapped out of it right when the ground started to tremble tremendously underneath him.

"What's going on?!" Brendan yelled through the storm, trying to hold onto his umbrella and the railing at the same time. Everyone including Archie, Maxie, and Shelly were all staring around wildly in confusion, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"It seems Kyogre is beginning to notice [Y/N]'s presence deep within the shrine," Wallace explained, standing calmly with his umbrella fashionably against his shoulder, amid all the chaos.

Every few minutes or so, the earth would rumble violently and a loud cry would be heard from within the Cave of Origin. Steven was seriously worried for [Y/N], even though he kept telling himself that she could handle it and that she'd be okay.

From all his worrying, he didn't notice the crowd around Archie before Brendan called out, "Steven over here!" Steven spun around, almost falling, and jogged over next to where Brendan was standing. The boy was staring intently at a small device Archie was holding while holding onto Wallace for support. Since Steven was late to the meet-up, he had no idea what was going on.

"What's happening?"

"Huh? Oh, ah, just listen. Shh." Brendan told him. Confused by the broad response, Steven did as told and stood quietly, waiting for whatever they were waiting for. A static current was heard and then Archie began to speak.

"Hey! Scamp! Can you hear me? It's ya boy, Archie!"

Static.

Then. A voice.

"Just because we are working together does not mean we are friends," he heard a voice reply. Steven felt his heart jump to his throat. "How are you even doing that? And don't call me "scamp"."

Archie grumbled something inaudible and then said, "How am I talking to you? There's a device linked to the one I'm holding that lets me talk to you from your fancy suit. From our readings, I assume Kyogre has appeared? You're probably starin' right at it!"

"That's a little stalkerish, don't ya think? Anyway, Kyogre _is _right in front of me, actually," Steven heard [Y/N] say, but could tell from her voice she was a bit nervous.

"Don't be scared, scamp!" Steven could almost see [Y/N] scowl at the name again. "Just jump onto that beastie's back and let it take you to the deepest part of the cave!" Archie said, but static was heard once again and they didn't get a reply.

"Hello?" Archie inquired tentatively.

"What happened?" Steven asked frantically, beginning to go crazy from the silent response.

"Relax, Steven," Brendan reassured. "I'm sure your girl is fine." He snickered at his own joke and Steven even saw Wallace chuckle in amusement.

"No! This is a serious situation! What if something serious happened to her? Then what?" Steven began to pace in fear for what might've happened to [Y/N], and if so, what would happen to the world.

"Steven, I think you should just sit down for a bit. I'm sure [Y/N] is fine," Wallace said. Well at least _he _was better at empathizing with Steven than Brendan, but it still didn't help his thoughts.

Sighing, he sat down under his neon-colored umbrella (he was already wet, so what did it matter if he got a little more wet? Besides, he had on a raincoat) and stared at the ground in dismay. For the next several minutes, he sat without moving and just gazed at the rain that was still pouring relentlessly onto the ground. He tried to block out everything-from his thoughts about [Y/N] to everyone else still talking-and just focus on the rain. The loud noise it made and how it looked like it was exploding when it hit the waterlogged ground. Of course, this was all just a distraction so he wouldn't worry about [Y/N]. Whenever he tried to think, she always managed to sneak into his head and invade his mind. What would she think about this? Or, she would like that! It began after the Latias incident, but became more and more obvious to him every single time they met after that. The solution to this was simple: just not think at all.

Steven was so engrossed-or _not _engrossed-in his thoughts, he barely heard the excruciatingly loud cry or hardly felt the ground shake fiercely in at least a 5.0 magnitude one last time, before it all came to a standstill. A dome of green light began to glow from the Cave of Origin, causing him to jolt from his thoughts. It expanded outward, surrounding all of Sootopolis City and stopping any rain from entering or being heard. Immediately after, a bright beam of green light burst from within the Cave of Origin and exploded toward the sky. It hit the heart of the storm and caused the hurricane to disperse instantly. The beam of light vanished too, and from it, appeared small sparkles of what seemed to be from the green light itself. They fell slowly and whenever they landed on him, made him feel warm and happy on the inside. Steven wished he could capture and savor this moment in time forever since it made him feel so at ease and peaceful.

A creaking noise behind him caused him to turn around and he saw the doors to the Cave of Origin begin to open. [Y/N] was leaning on the door, but didn't look at all to be hurt, just exhausted. He sprinted over with Brendan hot on his heels to greet her.

"[Y/N]! You did it! You really did it!" Brendan congratulated once they reached her and he picked her up in a bear hug, smiling broadly. Even though Brendan said that he and [Y/N] weren't anything other than friends-best friends-they were still closer than he and [Y/N] would probably ever get.

"B-Brendan, a little t-tight," [Y/N] choked. Brendan immediately set her down and grinned sheepishly; embarrassed. Then he sprinted away to go tell Wallace the news. Wallace had left about 5 minutes prior to [Y/N]'s return, using the excuse, "my clothes are getting ruined, and I'm going to catch pneumonia."

"[Y/N]! Did you get hurt at all during your encounter?!" Steven asked, trying not to sound frantic with concern. Even though her hair was ruined, and you could see the sweat and grime glinting off of her face, she still looked beautiful.

Steven mentally frowned and wondered when he ever started to see [Y/N] as beautiful. She was, in no case, beautiful. Decent, yes. Intriguing, very much. But beautiful? No, Steven had never thought that before.

He shook the thoughts out of his head and saw [Y/N] shake her head and look up at him with a bright, but also tired, look on her face. "I did it, Steven! I-" she frowned. "Steven? What in Arceus' name are you _wearing?_" He watched her try to stifle a laugh before looking down at himself, and abruptly doing a double take. Suddenly, he remembered he was still wearing that _stupid _neon pink raincoat Brendan had given him.

"Oh, um, I..." Steven felt his cheeks heat up and mentally reminded himself to kill Brendan whenever he got the chance to. But it was too late; [Y/N] had already burst into laughter.

"Steven wait! Let me get my PokéNav Plus out so I can get a picture of you in that thing!" This only caused [Y/N] to laugh harder, clutching her gut in pain from laughing so much. Hastily, Steven shrugged the jacket off and crossed his arms, waiting for [Y/N]'s laughing fit to end, his face still tomato red from embarrassment.

When she had finally wiped her eyes of tears and calmed down, she smiled widely at him. "Aww, you should've kept it on so I could've gotten a photo of you." [Y/N] pouted, but smiled a second later. "Oh well. I'll get a picture of you in that thing one day," she teased. "Well that was fun. Definitely made my day. Especially after all the stressful things that happened today." Although it was embarrassing, Steven felt his mood level rise from -5 to 93. Partly because it was nice to know he had made her day, the downside being the humiliation that came with it.

"We all owe you much thanks, [Y/N]," Steven said, once he got in control of his voice again. "Without you, we might still be standing under rainy weather." He took a few steps forward. "Look around. The sky has returned to normal, not only in Sootopolis, but everywhere else too."

From a distance, they watched Archie, Maxie, and Shelly in what seemed to be an emotional scene, and smiled. Even though they had caused all of this, they could tell they were truly regretful, especially Archie, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Maxie began to walk toward the end of the bridge, motioning [Y/N] over with the slightest flick of his head. Steven followed a little ways behind [Y/N], assuming Maxie wanted the conversation to be private.

He was still talking to [Y/N] right as Brendan came back from visiting Wallace's gym. Steven beckoned him over with a turn of his head, trying to think of a suitable punishment to give to Brendan. The boy stopped in front of Steven with his eyebrows raised, as if asking, "What do you want from me?", before Steven smiled as warmly as he could and put an arm around Brendan's shoulders. Then he proceeded to take Brendan's hat off and give him a noogie right then and there.

"Ow! Hey! What did I do to you?" Brendan shouted, fighting to get out of Steven's grip, but to no prevail (since Steven is _just too strong_). Eventually, Steven let go and threw Brendan's hat back, which landed on his face. Brendan quickly recovered and gasped, running over to the edge of the water and staring at his reflection. "You ruined my hair!" He whined and stared into the water, using the reflection as a mirror to try and fix his hair. "What was that for anyway? What did I ever do to you?" He questioned as he stood up and put his hat back on.

Steven smirked. "First off, you looked like a girl right there, freaking out about your hair. Second," he took a step forward, so no one else could hear. "That's what you get when you mess with the wrong guy." He turned around and began to walk away toward where [Y/N] was still talking to Maxie, trying to look dignified.

Brendan easily caught up to him. "Hey, wait!" He pulled on Steven's jacket, but Steven kept walking. Getting the notion, Brendan began to talk, seeing that Steven wasn't going to stop anytime soon. "Look, my hair is a sensitive subject okay?" Steven looked back for a split-second and saw Brendan pat his hat affectionately. He rolled his eyes.

"And when you said, "that's what you get..." did you mean when I gave you that pink raincoat? 'Cause Wallace was in on it too!" When Steven didn't reply, he heard Brendan make an "oohh" sound and felt him stop behind him. Steven turned around and saw Brendan with his chin in his hand. "I see now," Brendan murmured and snapped his fingers. He looked up at Steven and pointed at him in triumph. "You got embarrassed when [Y/N] sa-" At that point Steven had realized what Brendan was about to say and reached over to cover his mouth with his hand in fear of anyone hearing.

"Okay, don't need to go out telling the whole world," Steven said, nervously glancing around and fake-laughing. "That may be part of the reason, but how di-" Steven felt something moist touch his hand and froze.

"Did you just..._lick my hand!?_"

Brendan shrugged in innocence and pointed to Steven's hand that was still covering his mouth. Steven removed his hand and almost gagged. "Gross! Why would you do that?" Steven asked, reaching to grab a handkerchief out of his pocket until he remembered it was most likely soaking wet. In resolve, he wiped his hand off on his designer pants, reminding himself not to put the hand Brendan licked anywhere near his face.

"Eh. Gut feeling," Brendan said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, back to what I was saying before." Steven observed Brendan's eyes and noticed how they were shining pools of curiosity and mischief. "So you _did_-" Steven glared at him and Brendan rolled his eyes before lowering his voice to a whisper, "get embarrassed when [Y/N] saw you in that ugly raincoat!" Steven felt his face grow warm in embarrassment at the recount of his humiliation, and mentally wondered if something was wrong with him since he's been blushing much too often today. _But it's not just that_ Steven thought.

"Yes, that is the case," Steven admitted, but then shot back, "but you were the one that gave it to me and I had no choice but to wear it."

Brendan shook his head in amusement. "Dude, you could've just taken it _off_ after it stopped raining, you know," he responded, laughing.

Steven sighed, knowing whatever he said, Brendan would probably rebut. Rather than argue, Steven continued to walk toward [Y/N], stopping to the right of her. Brendan stood to her left. [Y/N] nodded at something Maxie said, and soon Archie was in front of them. "Alright scamp, so you managed to use the Red Orb pretty well, huh?" Steven saw [Y/N] grimace at the nickname. "Let's see you try this on for size. I have no real need for it now, and you already have the Red Orb, so why not? If you come into contact with Kyogre again, you'll be able to control its Primal Reversion. Someday, someday." Archie walked forward and handed [Y/N] the Blue Orb. "May our paths cross again..."

"Farewell, young trainer." Maxie said, before he turned around and left.

"See ya!" Archie said and took his leave as well, with Shelly following behind him.

A silence enthused after that and Steven put his chin in his hand, deep in thought. "Though Team Aqua and Team Magma have completely different ideals and goals, maybe they can learn to meet halfway...Hopefully this crisis will help them take that first step forward."

Both [Y/N] and Brendan nodded in agreement. Though his thoughts seemed unimaginable, perhaps there was a small fragment of a principle they could concur on. "It feels as if we can finally relax," Brendan sighed, stretching his arms out above his head. He grinned at [Y/N]. "I guess now's the time to say thanks for everything, [Y/N]. Even though we set out on our journeys at the same time, it feels like you're just charging ahead and leaving me in the dust! It doesn't even feel like we're on the same level anymore." Brendan laughed, but soon went quiet again, his face morphing into an emotion Steven couldn't identify. "I get lonely thinking about it..." he whispered, to the point where Steven could barely hear, and closed his eyes.

But as soon as he opened them, they were full of fire and energy again, his mouth curving into a smirk. "Too bad I don't! Anyway, you basically saved the world, yeah? Take it easy, now. Later!" Brendan hugged [Y/N] once more, and this time, she willingly let him, before he stepped back and began to jog away. As he neared Steven, he slowed and elbowed him in the ribs, causing Steven to glare at him in return. Brendan smirked and winked at him, causing Steven's face to go red from embarrassment, since he knew exactly what it was for.

Steven turned around to hide his flushed face, staring instead in the direction Brendan had run off to. "I'd imagine many changes are happening throughout Hoenn right now. I hope you get to experience all of its new richness with your own eyes and heart. But for now, I'm sure you'll want to challenge this city's Pokémon Gym, after a good night's rest of course. When you get there, you'll find Wallace waiting for you. He is the last gym leader standing in between you and the Pokémon league. Although he is strong, I'm sure you are capable of taking him on.

"Here. This should help you as well. It is one of my favorite items." Steven turned around to face [Y/N], his demeanor calm once more, and handed her the Eon Flute. A mystical item he had found while helping excavate some ruins on a mysterious island. "The Eon Flute proves the bond between you and Latias. With it, you'll be able to summon her no matter how far away she may be. Just like when we first encountered Latios and Latias on Southern Island..." His mind began to recount the memories of when they both encountered the legendary creature and he smiled faintly.

Steven turned to look up at the sky-at anything really-anything other than having to gaze into [Y/N]'s eyes. "Our survival depends on all of us living together in harmony. I feel as if I'm just beginning to understand that. As you and your Pokémon continue to grow together in this ever-changing world, I wonder how it will affect you. I hope you will be able to show me what you have learned and tell me your answer...one day..."

"Steven..." [Y/N] said, as if she was testing the water in a pool for the first time. Steven looked back at [Y/N], and noticed her staring intently at the ground. He saw her take a deep breath, and then lift her head, looking into his eyes. His heart quickened a beat; the eyes that stared determinedly into his own were the same as he imagined. Fierce, fiery, and full of purpose. "I have an answer."

Now he turned his full attention to her, confused by her response, though tried not to show it. "You do now? And what may that answer be?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow. Just because his intentions of that answer being a Pokémon battle, didn't mean that's what she had interpreted when he said it. For all he knew, [Y/N] could've taken his proposal a whole other way, which is what he figured. Yet ever since he found out that she was heading for the Pokémon League, he had wanted to keep his high-standing status a secret. To be honest, he wanted to see her surprise when she walked up the steps and saw who was standing in front of her.

The champion.

Steven.

[Y/N]'s face dropped its fiery facade, now looking hesitant and almost apprehensive. "When we first met," she said. "In Granite Cave." Her statement almost sounded like a question, and Steven felt guilty for being the cause of that, although she was pretty vague on the subject. Then he felt his eyes widen in shock. A late reaction. How had she remembered something he had asked her all the way back in Granite Cave? His widened eyes narrowed a bit, eyebrows furrowing when he wondered, what _had_ he asked her that very first time they met anyway?

Noticing his confused expression, [Y/N] elaborated. "You asked me what I thought of the mural on the cave wall. Remember?" She stared at him hopefully, optimistic that he would recall that time. Realization hit him right when she said "mural" and he tried to not make it completely obvious he hadn't known.

"Of course," he said smoothly, playing it off like he knew exactly what she was talking about. Which he did-now, at least.

[Y/N] shifted her feet. "Well...it got me thinking." She paused. "When I was facing Kyogre, I was scared." She looked down at her feet. "My Pokémon and I tried our hardest, and even though we defeated Kyogre, it was by a sliver, and could've gone any way, you know?" She looked at him. "But you were right as well. Not all power is terrible. I believe that before this era, there was a time when Pokémon lived in this world, without people. They lived in coherence-not all the time, but for the most part. When we came upon this world, we sought to control these ingenious beasts. Our power was the terrible one, confining Pokémon to something they may not have wanted.

"But now we've learned to live in sync with them. We battle, we train, we become one with them, together. But deep down, Pokémon are still wild creatures, with abilities we may not even know about yet. Power we wouldn't even be able to fathom. That mural of Primal Kyogre is a prime example of that power. A kind of power that we don't know what it's capable of, what it can do or how to control it. That's why it's terrible. Except would it not be worse if we could control it? Contort it to make its power even more horrendous than it was before?

"There are some Pokémon out there that enjoy the company of humans. And there are some that despise it. Because of something that happened before, or another reason, I don't know. But I do know that those Pokémon shouldn't just be left alone out there. We should try to understand and learn from them; see things from their perspective. Back then, people didn't try to understand the power that Primal Kyogre had. They just saw it and knew that it could destroy them. After witnessing that power for myself, I could sense that all Kyogre felt, was confusion and anger. These are different times now, you know? We're not living in the past anymore. I think it's time we try to finally see Pokémon as they see us."

Steven was dumbstruck, to put it simply. [Y/N] noticed his awestruck expression and quickly gazed downward, blushing to the tips of her ears. "S-Sorry. I tend to ramble a lot and you probably got bored...but that's my answer." She continued to stare at the ground, but all Steven could do was stare at her. Who knew such wisdom and thought could come out of that head of hers?

"No! No!" He laughed and put one hand on the back of his head. "I think you misunderstood. That was...incredible, [Y/N]." Steven had had to take some time to think of what he wanted to say, but it still managed to escape him. "I think your answer...was extraordinary, to say the least." [Y/N] had raised her head to stare at him, splotches of red painted across her face like an abstract.

"T-Thanks, Steven," she muttered, smiling slightly at him. For the next couple of seconds, they just stared at each other, in a comfortable silence. To Steven, it felt like hours on end, despite it probably being about 20 seconds. His thoughts were running a mile a minute, tangling together and forming jumbled, intangible dreams and conceptions. Yet in the back of his mind, he wondered what [Y/N] was thinking of, what she was going to do after this.

She was the first to break her gaze, staring instead at the waterfalls near Wallace's gym-though her eyes seemed clouded and unfocused. "I-I hope we can still hang out. For fun, you know?"

He smiled and mentally wondered if she was thinking of just that the entire time their "staring contest" was going on. "Of course. You know where I live, though I'm sure I'll be somewhere else, more often than not. Either way, I can tell we'll meet again soon."

[Y/N]'s face broke out into a smile; relieved. "I hope so." She looked toward the bridge that separated Sootopolis City from the Cave of Origin. The bridge that separated Steven from her fate. "Well," she looked at him once more, an unreadable expression on her grinning face. "I'll be going then. See you later, Steven!" [Y/N] raised her hand to say goodbye, and before Steven knew what he was doing, he grabbed [Y/N]'s hand and tugged her back toward him.

"Wait!" Steven could feel his face going beet red, but it was now or never. He watched as her face turned from surprised to what-in-the-world-is-happening, but forced himself to keep eye contact to seem sincere. _Well, I guess now is as good a time as ever to try out Wallace's advice..._ "Do you-do you wanna go out sometime? Like this Thursday for lunch?" Steven mentally face-palmed at his smoothness, but continued to stare unwaveringly at [Y/N] nevertheless. Her face blossomed into red and she nodded, smiling vaguely. Subsequently, Steven let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and let out a genuine smile. For some reason, out of every girl he's ever had an interest in, [Y/N] has made him feel the most flustered and awkward out of them all.

"Great! I'll pick you up at around noon, okay? Meet me in the Pokémon Center in Mossdeep City!" [Y/N] smiled and nodded at him one last time before turning around and walking along the bridge, disappearing out of sight.

In that moment, Steven finally felt like he had accomplished something. If anything, he felt like he liked [Y/N] even more now than before. With her complicated and well-thought-out answers, beautiful (and yes, beautiful) smile, and so many other qualities, how could he not? So with his heart beating a mile a minute, and his cheeks a fine tomato color, he put his hand to his heart and smiled.


End file.
